Improvement in corn and seed planters and rollers



-q mm INVENTOR ATTORNEY of a top view of my invention. tail side 'view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT SUTTON, OF ARBOR HILL, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN C ORN'AND SEED PLANTERS AND ROLLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,546, dated December 9, 1879; application filed July 12, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT SUTTON, of Arbor Hill, in the county of Adair and State of Iowa, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Corn and Seed Planters and Rollconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation Fig. 2 is a devertical section of the same; and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are details.

This invent-ion has relation to improvements in roller corn-planters; and the nature of the VGIIlJIOII consists in certain. novel combinations of devices used, whereby useful results are obtained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. I

In the annexed drawings, the letter A des- .ignates a strong rectangular frame composed of a combination of woodland iron, or of iron wholly, and braced transversely by the beams a a. I

BB designate rollers of suitable construction, arranged at each end of the frame, and

journaled, respectively, in the end bars, I), thereof at one end, andat the other in the beams a a. Between these rollers is a; third roller, B having its bearingsyin the rear 'extensions, c, of the tongue-hounds C. These extensions pass under thefront beam, d, of frame A, and their rear ends are journaled or pivoted to its rear beam, d, as shown in Fig. 1.

D represents the seat-support, rigidly secured to the tongue or tongue-hounds, and extending to the rear in a position overhanging the center roller, B

unusually rigid and strong'at its vertical por- I tiou e, and is provided upon its edge with a series of serrations, forming a ratchet, 0.

This support is made Extending up from the front beam, 01, of the frame A is an upright bar, d towhich is adjustably pivoted the end of a vertically-vibrating lever, d having its fulcrum at e on the seat-support.

The end bars and braces in which the rollers B B are journaled vibrate vertically on the rear beam, d, of the frame, and the weight of the center roller, B keeps that end of the frame down. Consequently, if the lever 01 be thrust down over the ratchet e, the front end of the frame will rise, and the end rollers, B B, be cleared of the ground. The apparatus may then be turned round with great facility.

In rear of the rollers, and journaled in the end bars of the frame, is a metallic or metalshod scraper, F, that extends from end to end of the frame A, and straddles the braces a a and extensions 0 of the hounds, notches being cut in its edge for the purpose. This scraper is thrust into contact with the rollers B B B by means of a lever, E, when it is necessary to clear away any accumulation of earth there- In front of the roller and secured to the frame is a seed-hopper, J, extending from end to end of said frame, and having a number of partitions, f, designed to be used only when planting corn, and to be removed when drillin g small grain. Extending through this hopper lengthwise is the dropper-slide G, having any practical number of seed-holes, the di mensions of which may be regulated at pleasure according to the size of the grain, or closed altogether. This slide has an upturned end, f, outside of the hopper, to which the retracting spring S is secured at one end, its other end being attached to the end of hopper.

Each of the seed-holes of the slide acts in rod,h, extending from end to end of the frame.

The upper edge of the opener engages in a fork at the end of a rigid arm, 11/, extending downward from the front beam of the frame, and the standard and its attachments are held against swinging backward by a pin, t, extending through coverer infront of the stoparm h. Should the opener, however, meet an unyielding obstacle, the pin 1' will break and allow the standard to swing back and clear thesame instead of being carried away.

H. indicates a cam-wheel rigidly keyed 0r secured upon the end of the shaft or spindle of roller B, and provided on one face with two cam-surfaces, i, and on the other with a numher of such surfaces, 5 proportionate to the distance apart of the plantings desired; and H indicates a strong metallic rod, loosely connected at one end to the dropper-slide aforesaid, and similarly connected to the spindle aforesaid outside of the cam-wheel, but in contact therewith, this contact being maintained by the spring S.

The rotation of the roller actuates the cam and lever and operates the slide, undue friction being avoided by an anti-friction roller, j, on the rod. In practice, the face of the wheel H, having the two cam-faces i, is designed to drive the slide so as to plant at every three and one-half feet apart, and the other face at every eight inches apart but it is clear that the intervals may be varied by using other cams.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a seed-planter, the combination, with the frame A, having rollers B B jonrnaled in its ends, of the tongue-hounds (J, having rear extensions, c extending under the frame and vibrating on its rear bar, the center roller, B journaled in extensions 0, the ratcheted seatsupport D, upright d erected on the frame, and lever d pivoted to said upright and fulcrumed on the seat-support, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the rollers B B,

jourualed one at each end of a frame, and an ALBERT SUTTON.

Witnesses:

JACOB L. PIERCE, WILLIAM LINN. 

